Storing of signals



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United States Patent Ofilice 3,031,647 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 3,031,647 STORING F SIGNALS Gerhard Dirks, 44 Morfelder Landstrasse,

Frankfurt am Main, Germany Original application Mar. 30, 1955, Ser. No. 498,043, now Patent No. 2,967,295, dated Jan. 3, 1961. Divided and this application Nov. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 69,536

Claims priority, application Germany Oct. 1, 1948 Claims. (Cl. 340-1725) This invention relates to the storing of signals on magnetizable signal carriers such as tapes, strips or the like, including larger elements which in addition to having the magnetizable storage areas have also one or more other areas for the visual indication (for example, printing) of the information represented by the stored signals.

The present application is a division of my application Serial No. 498,043, now US. Patent No. 2,967,295, filed by me on March 30, 1955, and entitled Improvements Relating to the Storing of Signals, which application Serial No. 498,043 is a continuation-in-part of my application Serial No. 101,032, now abandoned, filed by me on June 24, 1949, and entitled Novel Electronic Ofiice Machine Computing, Storing, and Sorting-Mechanism.

The invention provides a method of storing signals on a magnetizable carrier wherein the signals have either a defined local position relatively to a marking or formation of the carrier or a defined timed position relatively to pulse sequences, frequencies or the like.

The invention may comprise signal storage means including one or more magnetizable signal carriers which are contained preferably on or in a non-magnetizable material, such as film, paper or the like, or consist themselves of magnetizable material, in the form of strips, tapes, sheets or the like, for the purpose of storing and re-sensing signals, whereby on the signal carriers there are recorded, sensed or erased successively or simultaneously, amplitude or frequency modulation signals or different lengths of a frequency modulation or the like, representing different data and/ or commands, which have defined positions relatively to the perforated edges or other markings on the carrier, or to control signals recorded on the signal carrier, or to a control signal for electronic switches on a signal carrier or to synchronizing or switching signals (for example, pulses) for pulse distributors.

In general, the signals for the diiferent digit values, characters or commands on the magnetizable tape have a definite position either with respect to the edge of perforations or other marks on the tapes, strips or the like, or with respect to control frequency signals recorded on the magnetic carrier for controlling an electronic switch, or alternatively with respect to synchronizing signals for a signal distributor.

The selective recording, sensing, checking or comparing means which operates with such tapes, strips or the like comprise either locally displaced signal heads or timed switches for timed signal displacements.

In order that the present invention may be readily carried into etfect, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front of an em bodiment of an electric typewriter or printing machine, with full keyboard, in which an embodiment of the im proved signal storage of the present invention is embodied in magnetizable tapes;

FIG. 2a is a perspective view of the rear portion of the embodiment of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 2b-2h and 2j-2p are diagrams illustrating some of the possible kinds of signals that can be stored according to this invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of signals on a tape indicating the expression Radio 1950";

FIG. 4 is a code diagram illustrating the significance of signals in certain relative positions on a tape or like carrier;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an embodiment of filmtransporting and signal recording and sensing means for input and output tapes;

FIG. 6 is an embodiment of a circuit diagram illustrating the selective operation of signal heads on a magnetizable tape, in dependence on a distributor;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an inductive distributor for use in the circuit shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another embodiment of distributor or selecting switch;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one of the pairs of magnet coils shown in FIG. 8;

FIGS. 10a and 10b are side view and cross-section respectively of an embodiment of a distributor;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a complete recording arrangement including means for changing the sequence of denominations in which the signals occur;

FIG. 12 is a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 11;

FIGS. 13a, 13b and 13c show means for distributing information signals relatively to a start signal;

FIGS. 14a and 14b illustrate the use of zero signals and terminating signals for determining the significance of information signals;

FIG. 15 illustrates the use of an intermediate storage means between the initial input of signals and their recording on the tape;

FIGS. 16, 17, 18a, 18b and 19 illustrate the use of electronic distributors for synchronizing the signals;

FIG. 20a is an embodiment of a switching diagram for the control of a set of relay tubes by a stepwisely movable tape or other record means having one synchronization and one information track;

FIG. 201) shows a stepwisely operable cyclic storage with magnetizable layer for selective or repeated sensing of signals transferred from the tape of FIG. 20:: to the said magnetizable record means;

FIG. 21 illustrates the lateral movement of signal heads to increase their capacity within a given unity; and

FIG. 22 illustrates an embodiment of signal checking or comparing means.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is an electrically controlled typewriter with a keyboard 1, the printing mechanism 2, the platen roller 3 and magnetizable tapes 4 and 5. The printing mechanism can be either a type-character system or an electrically controlled dot or line-printing system.

The magnetic tape control can be used for different tasks. It can be used for instance for the magnetic storing of a typed text in combination with the simple typewriting mechanism. The signals for the typed text are recorded character by character on the magnetizable tape as typing proceeds, from whence they can be sensed and written again by the mechanism 2 for a repeated typing. Therefore, a renewed typing of a text by operating the typing keys is only necessary for those parts of the text which have to be changed. All the other characters can be retyped automatically by means of the magnetic tape 4.

If, for instance, propaganda-letters are to be printed, tape 4 can have the recorded signals for the general text of the letter for repeated printing, whereas a second tape 5 has the supplementary text which changes from letter to letter, for instance the address, the name, or special lines or characters within the text.

Such a combination of two tapes can be used also for correction tasks, if, for instance, an originally typed text is recorded on tape 4 and is to be re-typed with certain corrections. These corrections can be recorded in the supplementary tape 5. It is then only necessary to indicate by a mark, or other command signal, that at a given place in the text the sensing is switched from tape 4 to tape 5, and from there back again to tape 4 to the passage in the original text which follows the correction.

Furthermore, the combination of these two tapes can be used in such a way, that both tapes allow for the correcting of the text before it is printed. In this case, the typist depresses in the usual way a certain number of keys for characters, for instance for ten characters or for a line of characters, whereby contacts are closed, but no characters are printed. The signals for the depressed keys are recorded on one of the tapes 4 or 5. The printing of those recorded characters takes place either after a certain command or automatically, if the machine is not stopped. That is, the recorded text is sensed part by part or line by line, and printed, if no corrections have been made. During the sensing and automatic typing of these characters from tape 4, the recording of the next characters or line of characters takes place on tape 5, so that the use of both tapes provides a full printing speed capacity with the possibility of corrections before the printing of the characters.

By combining a selectable storing device having these tapes with a keyboard, a very interesting shorthand record and typewriting machine is obtained. In this case, symbolized signals for a series of characters, for instance for those syllables, words or the like which are generally abbreviated in shorthand systems are introduced into a tape from a selective storage means, when, in addition to one key, a second, or third, fourth key etc. is simultaneously pressed down, to represent a syllable, Word or the like. The signals for the whole syllables, words, or etc. are recorded with the same speed by signals, as is ordinarily done with a character. It is even possible to make the text recorded on the tapes or the like visible by suitable indicating means positioned at any desiged location, so that a dictating person may read the text while dictating it, if desired, before printing. All this results in speeding up the printing process, since the striking of each of the individual keys is no longer necessary, in general save for special words not coded.

Both tapes can also be used as input and output means of a printing and computing mechanism, preferably operating with electric or electronic means. In this case, tape 4 may for instance be used as input tape for the new text and computing tasks, whereas tape may have for instance the task of a summarizing tape, on which the resulting sums of groups of numbers or total results are recorded, or on which the signals of new sums or new balances are stored.

Furthermore, both tapes may be used in combination in such a way that, for instance, tape 4 contains the signals for the new daily input of magnetic tape data instead of punched cards, for instance in the sequence of account numbers, whereas tape 5 introduces into the machine supplementary standard signal series, as for instance for standard texts, or old sums or old balances in dependence on certain numbers of signal series of characters or commands for a ledger account.

Both tapes can also be used for the comparable task of the automatic typing and computing of invoices, payrolls, bookkeeping, etc. in such a Way that the changing information is introduced into the machine by tape 4, for instance, whereas the corresponding and necessary signals for supplementary standard information, for instance text, standard prices, standard deductions, and so on, are introduced by tape 5 by a selective sensing of selected areas of the tape without a preceding sorting or after a sorting process in which both sets of data have been sorted into a certain order, for instance on a tentape sorter, as described in my co-pending patent application, Serial No. 498,044, filed May 30, 1955.

All these examples show that almost all the tasks which are effected by punched card machines, can be accomplished by this automatic printing, computing, and sorting machine, controlled by magnctizable tapes. One of the great advantages of the use of such magnetizable tapes in comparison with punched cards lies in the possibility of correcting so that in all those cases in which a daily tabulating would require fresh summarizing cards for new balances and so on, or changed cards for other changing data, the tapes, strips, or the like can be repeatedly corrected and used again and again.

For another purpose, both tapes can be used for checking tasks by recording the same data twice. First, the signals for characters, digits or commands which will operate the machines are recorded on tape 4 for example by a person in a suitable device such as, for example, a typewriter with tapes (as shown). Then the signals for characters, etc. are recorded a second time, either on tape 5 or at another part of tape 4, or an another machine, or they are sensed in a second operation, so that both tapes or recordings can be compared either in the same machine during the second typing or in a separate checkin g or comparing device.

In many cases, the recording on the tapes will be carried through as a separate operation. In their simplest embodiment these recording mechanisms contain a keyboard, a recording head system and a feeding arrangement for the tape. It is possible to combine the recording mechanism with other recording devices such as timc recorders, cash registers and the like, which other recording devices may be mechanically operating.

Instead of magnetic storing on a tape, the recording can be elfected also on other objects or on different material, as long as such material or objects are provided with a magnetic layer permitting recording and re-sensing by a magnet. Thus typing, duplicating, account paper and the like may be provided with a magnetic substance, for instance, either embodied in the paper or applied to it, as a result of which they are able to store data for controlling sorting or complete book-keeping texts inclusive of figures, or even the whole contents of a document or the like.

For all the aforementioned purposes, since the significance of the signals is dependent on their position, the signals must, according to the invention, have a definite local or time relationship to fixed data such as a physical. location on the signal carrier (for example, the edge of a perforation) or a synchronizing signal, pulse or the like.

FIG. 2a is a view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 from the rear of the machine. FIG. 2a shows the tapes 4 and 5 and a part of the keyboard 1. Special reels are provided, to enable a simple handling of the magnetic tape. Thus tape 4, during its operation, is unwound from reel 6 and rewound on reel 7, whereas tape 5 is unwound from reel 8 and rewound on reel 9. The sensing, erasing and recording of the tapes is effected by means of the group of signal heads 10 which operate for the upper tape 4 and for the lower tape 5.

The feeding of both tapes is eifected by the stcpwisely operating control-transport system 11 described with reference to FIG. 5. The rear part of the machine, referring to FIG. 2a, is furthermore provided with a feeding box or input box 12 for ledger-account sheets or the like having magnetizable signal-carrying areas, from whence ledger accounts are fed one by one, from the bottom of the box to the printing device 13. The movement of the sheets is effected by roller system 14 which is driven by motor 15, shaft 16 and gears 17.

FIG. 2a also shows an output box 20 for the printed ledger accounts and a paper sheet 21 for receiving printed or typed information, such as, for example, journal entries.

The signals can be arranged on the magnetic tapes, 

